The feces-feasting rats of the North End

"Dog waste is to rats what fuel is to fire," Pistorio said. She estimates there are about 1,000 dogs in the North End and too few owners pick up after their dogs, leaving rats to feast on the feces. Yuch.

Even better than people who don't pick up after their dogs, are the people (or person) who lives in my neighborhood (north end near salem st) who scoops up his dogs feces and puts it in one of those little blue bags....then just leaves the bag on the sidewalk for someone else to pick up. Saturday morning I counted 6 bags on my little one-way street.

Not denying that there are owners who do not pick up after their dogs, but when the North End RUFF group gets together for their monthly clean-up, they find more human garbage/discarded food than dog waste. Pretty sure pizza crusts, chicken wings, and food wrappers filled with crumbs are more attractive to rats than dog waste.

Ban dogs from the city? Forget the people who rely on dogs for therapy, companionship as well as protection?

As a dog owner and dog lover, I agree that people need to pick up after their dogs. They are probably the same people that think nothing of throwing their trash on the ground either. Let's face it the human race has it's faults and always will. Also, not everyone is going to be happy all the time.